Barbed metallic fence-rails



(No Model.)

G. G. BAKER.

BARBED META-LLIG FENCE RAIL.

No. 256,535. 8 Patented Apr. 18,1882.

lgyvizumz V %1W\w%\% 0%m UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

GEORGE O. BAKER, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

BARBED METALLIC FENCE-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,535, dated April 18, 1882.

Application filed May 23, 1881. No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE G BAKER, of Des Moines, in the county of Poll; and State of Iowa, have invented an Improved Barbed Metal Fence-Rail, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to that kind of barbed fence material that is made of flat strips of metal or strap-iron and it consists in combinin g common flat-headed and pointed nails or tacks with a continuous metal strip or band without impairing the tensile strength thereof or destroying its solid, fiat-sided, and plainlyvisible character.

Hcretofore barbs have been formed integral with metal strips by cutting sections partially off and then bending them outward. Sheetmetal barb-pieces have been bent over the ed gcs of metal strips and soldered fast. Metal strips have been twisted spirally to produce a tubular rail and L-shaped wire barb-pieces introduced and fastened at intervals in its continuous spiral seam. Flat-headed tacks have been placed against each other and clamped fast between wire strands to produce a barbed cable. Cutting metal strips to form barbs thereon impairs the tensile strength of the rail. Sheet metal barb-pieces attached to the outside surface of a flat rail are easily broken loose and displaced.

Twisting a metal strip spirally to anchor \vire barb-pieces in the seam of the tubular rail thereby produced destroys the flat and plainlyvisible character of the strip. Olampin g pairs of tacks between the strands of a cable fails to secure the advantages of a plainly-visible flat-sided rail. I overcome these objections to the use of metal strips and common tacks by permanently combining flat-headed tacks with metal strips in such a manner as to produce a solid flat-sided continuous barbed railin which the barbs are not secured to the outside surface and not liable to be loosened and displaced.

Figure 1 of my accompanying drawings is a perspective view of a section of my complete barbed metal rail. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail view, showing a piece of strap-metal shaped at one end as required to receive, inclose, and fasten the heads of the barbs. Jointly considered, these figures clearly illustrate the construction and utility of my complete invention.

a is a thin metal strap, preferably made of steel, and about halt an inch wide. To fasten the tacks or flat-headed barb-pieces b securely thereto without impairing its tensile strength, I double its edges 0 c (by means of suitable machinery) inward and toward each other and over the heads of the barb-pieces b, as clearly shown in Figs.2 and 3, and press them closely against the central portion of the strap a, and

then solder all the parts together by passing the barbed railthrongh a prepared molten-metal or s0luble-rnetal bath in the manner in which articles of metal are commonly galvanized to preventcorrosion. After the barbs are thus attached to project at right angles from a central line of the rail I twist the rail to cause the barbs to project in various directions relative to each other and radially from the longitudinal center of the complete rail when it is stretched and fastened to fence-posts.

My improved metal rail, doubled together, as specified, retains its flexibility, and can be readily wound into coils or upon spools like fence-wire to facilitate handling and shipping it as an article of merchandise.

I claim as my invention- The improved barbed metal fence-rail composed of a metal strip having its parallel edges folded toward each other, and pressed flat upon a series of flat-headed tacks, and soldered fast and twisted, substantially as shown and described, for the purposes specified.

GEORGE O. BAKER.

Witnesses FRED HAMPTON, MARCUS KA ANAGE, Jr. 

